The Antonio Conte Effect: How has the Italian silently transformed Tottenham Hotspurs into real contenders?
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Antonio Conte
Tottenham Hotspurs saw a very swift decline in their football ever since they made it to the finals of the Champions League in 2019. However, Antonio Conte has since transformed the club into serious contenders and enjoyed the perfect transfer window so far.
Tottenham has already signed 3 players so far in the transfer window with the likes of Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma and Carter-Vickers. The club are closing in on Richarlison to make their 4th and look ready to challenge for some silverware for the upcoming 22-23 season. They are also in talks with Barcelona to sign Clement Lenglet.
A shift in power for Tottenham Houtpurs with Antonio Conte and Fabio Patrici
In the summer of last year, Tottenham had failed talks with almost 4 managers before finally appointing Nune Espirito. However, after a horrendous start to the season, the club sacked the Portuguese to appoint Antonio Conte at the helm.
Since then, Tottenham has not only managed to secure Champions League football, but their summer clearly shows that the North-London club are ready to end its trophy drought and bring silverware to White Hart Lane.
What is different with Antonio Conte? The tactics and mindset
Antonio Conte is a serial winner. He created records in Juventus, came to a struggling Chelsea and made them Premier League winners. He then joined a struggling Inter Milan turning them into Serie A giants once again and is now doing the same with Tottenham Hotspurs.
His vertical football play, making full use of his fullbacks while including a host of longballs and passing between the lines worked perfectly for them towards the end of the season.
The biggest effect that Italian has is his shrewd personality and no-nonsense work. The demanding manager got the best out of his players last season. A change in tactics with more positional discipline, and acute tactics have transformed Spurs and its players.
Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son are perfect examples of that with the latter ending up as the Premier League top scorer as well. He also got his choice of players like Dejan Kulusevki and Bentancur in the summer, integrating them into the Spurs’ system almost instantly.
Changing the traditional 4-2-3-1 into his iconic 3-4-3
Most managers reside in a back 3 when they look to defend more than attack. However, no one uses the back 3 like Antonio Conte. Like Thomas Tuchel, the Italian used his 3-4-3 formation, shifting to a 3-5-2 often to make Tottenham a defensive rock and superb attackers.
Playing Son in a no. 10 position while having Lucas Moura make those darting runs from behind has also worked a charm for the former Chelsea coach. Some of the best moments for the duo came in their wins against Norwich City and Crystal Palace.
His gradual improvement in the midfield was also evident. From using Hojberg and Skipp as defensive pivots often making passing quite flat to using Harry Winks and Bentancur to improve creativity and making transitions more fluid has been exemplary.
What’s next for Tottenham Hotspurs?
Next up for the Lilywhites is to just keep a hold of their key players and trust Antonio Conte. The 52-year-old has already showcased what he is capable of and can surely help Tottenham win.
The club are very close to agreeing to a deal to sign Richarlison from Everton, the winger would mostly be used in the same position as Lucas Moura while Kane and Son resume their natural positions under Conte.
Premier League clubs will surely fear the new Tottenham Hotspurs under Antonio Conte. The team looks serious and will really contend for not just the Premier League trophy but all the competitions they take part in. Conte historically doesn’t fare well in cup competitions but will want to change that with Spurs.
Also Read: Tottenham Richarlison from Everton on a permanent deal for £50m plus add-ons
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Shubham Mohta
(334 Articles Published)